Insult to Injury
by levana lachrimae
Summary: Sequel to Agony of Affection. After being brutally pulled away from Axel and witnessing the death of his friends, Roxas has all but given up. Will Axel be able to find him before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Sequel to Agony of Affection. After being brutally pulled away from Axel and witnessing the death of his friends, Roxas has all but given up. Will Axel be able to find him before it's too late?

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix.

* * *

The world shattered, the pieces falling away until there was nothing left but a vast blackness that threatened to consume me. I had been pulled through the void like a dog on a leash, helpless to turn away from the course that had been set for me. I did not know where I had been taken, but this time, I was determined to fight. I refused to let Xemnas win. He had killed my friends, ripped me away from Axel, and taken everything from me. The only thing I had left was my will, my determination to survive, and he would not strip me of that.

_Wake up, Roxas. Open your eyes and face him._

"Ah," Xemnas said from the right of me. "Finally. I was beginning to worry." He came around to stand in front of me, his amber eyes boring into mine. "What?" he asked when all he got in response was an icy glare. "No comeback? No threats of bodily harm upon your escape, or assurances that your knight in shining armor will swoop in to rescue you?"

"I have nothing to say to you," I spat, surveying my surroundings.

I was in some sort of cavern that looked as if it was being used as a storehouse, with wooden crates and boxes strewn haphazardly around. It was quite large and roughly circular in shape, but I couldn't see any tunnels or anything resembling an exit. That probably meant that the only way to get in or out was by portalling, which also most likely meant that Xemnas was the only one who even knew about this place.

As if reading my thoughts, Xemnas pulled a chair in front of me, sat cross-legged, and said, "Like it? I found it months ago, completely by chance while scouting one day." He grinned, resting his foot on the inside of my right calf, and said, "Don't expect anyone to find you here."

I tried to pull away, only to realize that I couldn't. I was sitting in a high-backed, four-legged chair with my arms tied behind it. My feet had been tied to the back legs of the chair, completely immobilizing me in a very uncomfortable and vulnerable position.

"Bastard," I sneered, tugging at my binds.

He chuckled and said, "Well we wouldn't want to give you the opportunity to call on that keyblade of yours now, would we?"

"So you're too much of a coward to fight me, huh?" I challenged, hoping to provoke him.

He tilted his head and admitted, "For the moment... yes I am. Despite my best efforts, you managed to wound me last we fought, and almost fatally at that. I need to heal and gather my strength, but don't worry. You'll have the chance to lose to me soon enough."

I huffed, looking away from him, and asked, "So what's the plan this time, Mr. Evil Overlord, sir?"

"Don't pretend you don't care, Roxas," he said, leaning forward and grabbing my chin, forcing me to face him. "You know what I can do to you."

"You're too badly injured to do much of anything right now. What are you going to do, bleed on me?" I'd gotten past being afraid of this bastard. Now I was just plain pissed.

"Even injured, I can still hurt you," he answered. "But you're right. I shouldn't overexert myself." He stood up, brushing off his cloak. "Even so," he said turning away from me. "Injuries heal, and you'll find I heal quite quickly." He turned back to me, lightly tapping a small syringe.

"What-" I started, but my question was cut short by his hand on my mouth.

"Time to sleep," he said.

I felt a small prick in my neck, and the pressure of fluid being pushed under my skin. I stayed conscious barely long enough to see Xemnas turn and limp away.

**~~~Axel's POV:~~~**

"You have to eat something, Axel," Namine said, pushing the plate of sausage and eggs toward me. "And for goodness sake, shower."

"I'm not eating anything until I find him," I answered, ignoring the second remark.

"We don't know how long that will take," she reasoned. "You have to keep your strength up. You're no good to Roxas if you starve yourself."

I glanced up at her, pausing a moment before snatching one of the sausage links off the plate and nibbling at the end. I had to admit she was right. Even though Xemnas had been injured, he would still be a formidable opponent. I had to retain my strength if I hoped to best him.

"There," Namine said with a forced smile. "That's better isn't it?"

I paid her no mind as she set the plate down directly in front of me. Instead, I concentrated on the question at hand. Where could Xemnas have taken Roxas?

"Any ideas on where Xemnas would hide out, Xigbar?" I asked, shooting my question to the man currently sprawled on the couch.

"Nada," he replied. "There's Castle Oblivion, but that place is too... obvious. He wouldn't go there." He paused. "Unless he knew we would think it was too obvious and concluded that it would be the perfect place to hide."

"We should check it out just to be safe," I said, cutting off his stream of words.

"Yeah," he said, fiddling with the safety on his gun.

"You're making Namine nervous," I said, noting the slightly frightened look on the girl's face as she watched him anxiously.

"Yeah, okay," he said, laying the gun on the floor. "Sorry there, little lady."

I slouched down against the wall and said, "Our first objective is to find out exactly who died in the fire and to figure out who out of the survivors we can trust."

Xigbar stood, stretched, and said, "Well there's Marluxia, but I don't know where he scampered off to. I know Saix is still alive; I saw him dragging himself out from under a pile of rubble. Other than that, I just don't know."

Saix was alive? Just great. "Searching for bodies would be pointless," I sighed. "Even if they didn't evaporate, the fire would have made them unrecognizable." I surveyed the pitiful conditions we were all in, save Xigbar and said, "Xigbar, I want you to go out and see if Xemnas picks up on you. He doesn't know you're working with me, so maybe you can get him to tell you something."

"You want me to be some kinda double-agent?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

I stood, clenching my fists, and said, "Don't you tell him shit about what we're up to if he finds you, got it? If he asks, make up some bullshit that sounds plausible."

"Whatever," he said, throwing his coat over his shoulder and briskly walking out of the apartment.

After a brief silent moment, Namine closed the distance between us, gently touching my arm, and asked, "Axel?"

"Yeah?" I answered, not looking at her.

"We're going to find him," she said, pulling her lips together.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I think I'll go take that shower after all." I pulled away from her, heading toward the small bathroom. I paused just outside the door and glanced back at Namine, who was standing still as a statue. "Namine?" I asked. When she looked up at me, I said, "Thanks for being here. I couldn't do this without you." She managed a small smile before I went into the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

I turned on the shower and as the water was heating up, I went to the mirror to inspect myself. I had lost weight, and my face looked hollow. I barely even recognized myself. My skin was pale, with dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. The few hours of sleep I had managed to steal were not restful and they were filled with nightmares. I looked a mess. I _was _a mess.

I stripped and stepped under the shower spray. Three days. It had been three whole days since I'd watched Xemnas take away the only person who mattered to me anymore, three days since my life had been dragged into the darkness, and three days of unimaginable torment for Roxas. I didn't want to think about what he was going through, but these images kept crossing my mind. I knew how cruel Xemnas could be, how brutally and sadistically he could torture anyone in his grasp. I could picture Roxas in so many different situations and they all made me cringe.

I would find him. I would find him no matter what it took. I'd said I would do anything for him and those words were as true today as they were when I first said them. I loved him with every piece of my shredded soul and I would see him safely back to me or die trying.

It was all up to me now. There was no word from Marluxia and Xigbar was less than helpful. If what he'd said was true and Saix was still alive, then I was in for a lot more trouble than I'd been hoping for. I didn't think Xemnas would come looking for me, and even if he did he wouldn't find me. I and what little allies I had left were currently hiding out in Demyx's old apartment in Traverse Town. It was the first place I'd thought of and the only place that would really be safe for Namine and the others. I didn't care about myself. If Xemnas did find me I would gladly trade him my very soul for Roxas' freedom. I would give him anything and everything he wanted in return for a vow of Roxas' safety, and once inside I would bide my time, waiting for a chance to strike. I certainly had more of a chance than Roxas did, but I knew that wouldn't happen. He wouldn't deal with me again, not after last time. My only hope was to find him and bring him down directly.

Exactly how much hope we had, I didn't know. There was a chance, a slight chance that everything would be alright again, but that chance hinged directly on Roxas. All I could do was wait and see. I just hoped that Xemnas wouldn't get a hold of the letter I'd given Roxas before he had a chance to read it. That letter... It was a small thing, but it would hopefully give Roxas the comfort and courage that he needed to stay strong and level-headed through this ordeal.

I stepped numbly out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist and trudging into Demyx's bedroom, where I began to cry uncontrollably once again. I cried for my friends, for Demyx and Zexion, who had been struck down before they'd even had a chance to really live their lives. I cried for Namine, who was my only real friend left in the world. She carried much of the burden now, having to deal with all the emotional stress and trauma for all of us. But most of all I cried for Roxas. He must have been so scared, so unsure about where he'd end up if he was even still alive. It wasn't fair to him. Why did all of this shit have to happen to him? What did he do to deserve it? Nothing. He was good-hearted, innocent, and pure. He deserved to be happy and free, but all he got was ruin.

All of this, everything that had happened to everyone, all of it was my fault. I should have tried harder. I should have protected them. Demyx and Zexion were my friends, and I had let them down. Now they were dead because of me, because of my stupid schemes. Roxas... Roxas meant the world... and more... to me. He was the only reason I went on living, and I hadn't been there to protect him like I should have. I should have just gone through with Xemnas' deal. Then the only one who would have been in pain was me. No one else would have been hurt, and Roxas wouldn't be in the situation he was in right now. I could have just waited out the storm. It might have taken a while, but eventually, we would have been able to just leave without turning back. I probably would have been physically and emotionally scarred and by then Roxas would probably have figured out what was going on, but all in all it would have been much better that way.

I threw myself onto the bed, the lingering scent of sweat, dragon's blood incense, and wood polish wafting around me like a fog. The pillow beneath my face was already soaked in my tears and my breaths were coming fast and shaky. I missed them so much. I missed Demyx and his whimsical, care-free attitude. I missed Zexion and his quiet serenity and logical outlook. Then of course there was Roxas. I missed his touch and the feel of his breath on my skin. I missed his smile and the sound of his laughter. I missed his bright eyes, the taste of his kiss, and the smell of his hair. I missed being close to him, having his arms around me, everything about him. I needed to be with him, but for all I knew he could be worlds away. I had to get him back. I just had to.

I didn't know how long I laid there torturing myself with thinking of him. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep, surrendering to the dark void of unconsciousness and, hopefully, peaceful dreams.

* * *

**A/N: So here it is: the long awaited sequel. I've _finally_ gotten my own laptop and can devote myself to writing a lot more now. I still have college and I'm working in theatre now as well, so I can't guarantee an upload every week, but I will try. I have the plan for this story all figured out; I just have to write it. I also have a Sora/Riku that is coming along great. Thank you for being patient with me, and I hope you enjoy. Reviews? :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix.

* * *

I was abruptly pulled out of my deep, drug-induced sleep by a splash of icy cold water in my face. I gasped, startled, and roughly coughed up some of the water that had invaded my lungs.

"What was that for?" I shouted, tugging at my bonds.

"Good morning, Roxas," Xemnas said with a smile. "You must be hungry after all this time, yes? I brought you something to eat."

He turned around, pulling a small, rickety table in front of me, and produced a plate of pancakes and mixed fruit with a little cup of apple juice. He then pulled up another chair and sat beside me.

"Just how long has it been, exactly?" I asked as he picked up a forkful of fruit.

"Four days," he said with a smirk. "Open up."

"I can feed myself, asshole," I spat. "Untie me."

"I might think about it," he said, putting the fork down and waiting expectantly.

"I am _not _going to kiss you," I scoffed. "You sick pervert."

"Ooh," he laughed. "Kitty's got claws. Fine, I'll give you a freebie this time."

"Whatever," I said as he took a knife and cut the ropes binding my hands. "And my feet."

He looked up at me, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll probably need to use the bathroom after four days," I pointed out, though I strangely didn't really feel the need.

"I've had you catheterized," he answered. "But if you wish, I'll be happy to escort you to the restroom."

"You _what_?" I asked, my head swimming at the implications of that statement.

"Would you rather have messed yourself?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, cringing inwardly. "Yes I would rather that than have you violate me with a tube."

"Well I didn't want to have to clean up after it," he said, leaning down to cut the ropes around my ankles.

"Then how about wake me up before it was necessary?" I asked, glaring through my eyelashes at him.

"I'm afraid that was impossible," he replied. "The drug I initially gave you could have kept you unconscious for quite a while. You're actually lucky it wore off when it did. I was beginning to get bored just staring at you. In any case, eat up. I can't have you passing out from starvation, now can I?"

"What do you care?" I asked, picking at the pancakes. "What did you give me anyway?" I asked before taking a cautious bite.

"That's for me to know and for you to, well, experience."

"Fine," I sighed. "Don't tell me. Whatever."

"You've become quite good at acting like you don't care," Xemnas said reaching toward me.

I slapped his hand away and said, "It's not an act, Xemnas. I really just don't care anymore." I sighed. "You've done some very horrible things to me and you're probably going to continue. There's nothing I can say or do to make you stop, so what's the point? You're going to do whatever you want anyway, so just go ahead and _do _it! I don't care anymore. I don't _care_! You'll get yours in the end though. I'll kill you myself, you hear me?"

"Are you quite finished?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

I huffed, leaning away from him, and said, "And that wasn't an invitation. I'm not _offering _anything."

"Surely not," he said in reply. "That doesn't mean I won't sample you."

He cupped my chin firmly in his hand and leaned toward me. I pulled away, standing swiftly and knocking the chair I had previously been tied to on its side. "Haven't you had enough of me already?" I asked, trying to hold in my panic as he followed me.

"Nonsense," he chuckled. "That brief time we were together all those months ago did little to satisfy my hunger for you." I backed away from him until I felt the edge of a crate press into the small of my back. Xemnas' eyes bored into mine as he closed the distance between us. "If anything it excited me even more."

Slowly, he advanced, pushing me down on top of the crate and positioning his body between my legs. His hand found its way under my shirt and he dipped his head to lick my jaw line, stopping to nibble at my neck. I felt bile rising up in my throat and forced myself to keep it down.

"No," I whispered, a tear escaping my eye as his free hand went to the front of my pants.

He paused there, bringing his mouth back up to my ear and sucking on my earlobe a bit before chuckling and saying, "You care."

In the next moment, he was off of me. My eyes went wide as I stood to see him brushing off the front of his cloak. I was confused, afraid, and utterly unsure of what to do next. I was certain that he could see the fear in my eyes as he smiled over at me.

"Come," he said, motioning for me to follow him. "I'll show you to the restroom. I even have a change of clothes for you if you want to take a shower. I'm not all bad, see?" He chuckled, coming over to me and throwing his arm around me.

I tolerated him for the time being and said, "You took me away from Axel, drugged me, tied me to a chair, and molested me. That's only counting what you've done in the past few days. Don't even get me started on the past year and a half or so." I shrugged out of his embrace and said, "Don't touch me."

"Roxas," he said, taking my chin in his hand again. When I pulled away he said more forcefully, "Roxas. I'm allowing you some semblance of freedom here. I could just as easily have you back in that chair, maybe gagged to save me a headache or two. Is that what you want? Answer me."

"No," I said, pulling my lips together and glowering at the floor.

"Good," he said. He smiled down at me as he once again threw his arm over my shoulders and said, "Then come along."

I let him pretty much drag me to a trap door partially concealed by an ornate area rug. The small cavern suddenly got a lot bigger as we descended a flight of stairs deeper into the underground. There was a long corridor carved into the rock with doors on either side all the way down. Now I had no idea how big this place actually was, or if there was possibly a way out of here. I was sure Xemnas wouldn't leave me alone long enough to explore.

The bathroom ended up being the second door on the right. I was absolutely appalled when Xemnas followed me in.

"No," I said, trying to push him out of the room. "No way. I can't... do my business with you right there."

"It's nothing I haven't seen before, Roxas," he said, a slight smirk on his face.

"Don't remind me," I said, trying to quell the urge to vomit.

"I'll turn my back if that's what you want," he said, raising an eyebrow. "However, I'm not going to leave you alone for even a moment. I just don't trust you not to try anything."

"I won't do anything," I said, pleading now. "I swear. I'll just use the bathroom, take a shower, and that's it. You can stand right outside the door if you want, just... _leave_."

"That's not going to happen, Roxas," he said. "Now do you have to use these facilities or not?"

I paused, glaring at him before saying, "Fine! Turn around then."

He smiled and turned his back on me, closing and locking the door in front of him. I sighed, feeling extremely uncomfortable as I took the most humiliating piss of my life. I was about to say something, but then I was shocked to notice a fresh set of _my _clothes laid out on the counter. On closer inspection, the clothes turned out to be some of those that Axel had bought for me after I moved in with him. The bastard must have stolen them from his house.

I didn't say anything about the clothes. Instead I asked, "Are you going to stay in here while I shower too?"

"Yes, I intend to," came the reply.

I sighed and said, "Fantastic. Just... don't look at me."

I quickly stripped and got into the shower. I was used to showering with other people in the room after gym class at school, but Xemnas wasn't just another student. At least the shower curtain was solid and not clear. I hissed as cold water rained down on me from the shower-head, backing away from the spray while it warmed. I shivered, but not from the cold. How long could I keep this up? How long could I stall him before he decided to take advantage of me again? The next time he came onto me like that, he would probably take it further, even to the point of completion. I didn't know if I could take that again. I had to admit to myself that I was afraid. I didn't want to be afraid, but I couldn't help it, especially now with the very vulnerable position I was in and Xemnas standing not six feet away from me.

I tried not to think about it as I quickly washed away the grime of the past four days and turned off the water. I tried to look small as I poked my head around the edge of the shower curtain to ask Xemnas for a towel, which he gladly gave. I didn't miss the unrepentant look of lust in his eyes when he saw part of my nude top half. I could easily picture him tearing away the shower curtain, throwing me against the wall and having his way with me, but thankfully he simply turned his back to me once more as I hastily dressed.

I was just about to alert him that I was finished when I picked up the dirty pair of jeans I had thrown on the floor. As I lifted them, a folded triangular piece of paper slipped out of them and landed on the floor with a soft thud. It took my brain a while to process this, but after a few moments I remembered that Axel had slipped something into my back pocket as we were saying goodbye just before Xemnas had taken me into the portal. The dominant part of me desperately wanted to see what secrets this little piece of paper held, but I knew that if I took the time to read it now, Xemnas would get suspicious, possibly turning to look at me. Then he would take it from me and learn its secrets as well, after which I would never see it again. I ran my fingers over the paper, feeling something solid wrapped inside. This piqued my curiosity even more, to an almost unbearable point, but I had to bide my time. I closed my eyes, slipped the parcel into the pocket of my new jeans, and cleared my throat.

"Finished," I said, keeping my eyes on the floor.

I felt Xemnas' gaze on me as he said, "I should have neglected to leave a shirt for you. A gorgeous figure like yours shouldn't be-"

"Stop," I said, looking up at him with a disgusted look on my face. "Just don't. I don't want to hear how gorgeous my figure is or how sexy I look without a shirt on or anything else about my appearance from you. Not from you, Xemnas! I'll tell you something else. It doesn't matter what you do to me. It doesn't matter how many times you molest me or claim me or do anything else to me, I belong to Axel, body, heart, and soul. Nothing you do will ever change that."

He sauntered close to me, so close that we almost touched, and said, "For now." He slid his hand to the small of my back and pulled me into him, firmly pressing in such a way that I couldn't wriggle away. He leaned down and I felt his breath on my ear as he said, "We'll see how you feel when this is over. When I'm through with you, even your dearest Axel won't be able to pick up the pieces of your broken mind. You say you'll kill me. I say I know you will. I expect it, and even embrace it. However, you should know that even if you achieve your goal, even _when _you eventually kill me, I'll still win in the end. My plans are already set in motion. Nothing can stop them, and nothing can save you. When Axel finally finds you, he'll be just barely too late. Until he does come for you, I intend to enjoy every moment of time and every inch of you." He took a fistful of my hair in his left hand, preventing me from moving my head as he licked his way down my jaw line to my lips, which he then took into a fierce, crushing kiss.

I scratched at his neck and tried to push him away, but he was just too strong for me. "Oh yes," he said when he came up for air, "I am going to die a very happy man."

* * *

**A/N: I'm really beginning to hate Xemnas now that he's sort of become the main antagonist in almost every one of my stories. I should be writing more of this soon. I don't know why I work the way I do. I have a random burst of creative inspiration where I can get chapter after glorious chapter finished in no time, then it just leaves and I'm left with nothing. T.T Hopefully, this time it will last a bit longer. :D Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix.

* * *

Pleasant dreams were just too much to ask for. I had only managed to get a miniscule amount of sleep in the past few days and nightmares had plagued me throughout. On this night, there was only a slight difference. This time, the nightmare was lucid. It came to me in a fog that clouded my mind. The funny thing was that I didn't remember going to sleep before my mind was enclosed by it. It actually felt as if the dream itself put me to sleep. Though it couldn't exactly be called a nightmare, it still disturbed me greatly.

_I stood before the council, frankly wondering what the hell I was doing here. I was in the center of the room, completely surrounded by nine members of Organization XIII, the Organization that by all rights I should owe my allegiance to. They all had their hoods up, so I couldn't see their faces, but I felt their eyes boring into me with all the intensity they could muster._

_The one I knew to be Xemnas stood. When he spoke, rather than hearing his voice audibly, it resonated in my mind, "You stand before us to be judged, Axel Flynn. Prepare yourself."_

_"I'm not supposed to be here," I said, taking a step backward._

_Lexaeus and Xigbar materialized on either side of me, holding fast to my arms._

_"Let me go!" I shouted, struggling to free myself._

_As I struggled, a wave of some sort hit the three of us from behind, knocking them away but leaving me unscathed._

_"Axel!" called a familiar voice. "This way! Hurry!"_

_Before anyone had time to recover, I bolted down the hall behind me, toward the dark portal spiraling at the end. I heard them all give chase, their weapons materializing in their hands, but I dared not take a peek behind me. As I ran, the hallway seemed to stretch and I thought I would never make it to the end before the Organization was on me again._

_What seemed like an eternity later, the portal was within my reach. I heard Larxene screech and the zip of her knives slashing through the air. I barely felt the sting of one of her blades against my back as the portal closed behind me._

_"Are you okay?" came the voice after I had caught my breath and realized that I was back in Demyx's bedroom._

_"Zexion," I said, disbelief obvious in my voice. "What are you doing here? How can you be... alive?"_

_The Cloaked Schemer looked up at me and said, "This is a dream, Axel. Nothing more. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you control this plane and my actions in it. I was simply acting on behalf of your subconscious, though let me say that you were quite difficult to locate._

_"A dream that can hurt?" I asked, picking Larxene's dagger off the floor, noting that the tip of it was soaked in my blood._

_"You need to leave this place," he said, motioning to the area around him. "It is no longer safe for you to stay here."_

_"What?" I asked, slightly taken aback._

_"Your location has been compromised, Axel," he said, looking at me with his one visible eye, which seemed to be glowing in the moonlight streaming through the window. Something wasn't quite right here. "You must go. As soon as you wake, take Namine and go to a place called Hollow Bastion. There, talk to a man named Leon about a boy named Sora. Roxas is in very grave danger and that boy is the only one who can help you now."_

_"I know he's in danger," I responded with a sigh._

_"No," he said, shaking his head. "You do not understand. You couldn't understand. He is in more danger than you could ever comprehend. You must rescue him, and you must do so soon, before his mind is completely erased."_

_"What do you mean, 'erased?'" I asked, my eyes growing wide. "And if you're just a figment of my subconscious, how do you know these things? How can I believe what you say here, if it's only a dream?"_

_"You suspect what is being done to him, Axel," he said, backing away. "You don't want to admit it to yourself, but you know the danger he is in. You fear what he will become if you do not reach him in time and you know that there will be no turning back if it becomes reality. I've said too much," he said, closing his eyes. "You are not ready. Just keep in mind that Roxas needs you. He won't survive without you, nor will you without him. In the end, it is up to you to decide whether or not to heed my words, but Roxas' fate hangs in the balance. As do yours... and ours."_

_"What?" I asked as he began to fade away. "I don't understand. Please."_

_The last thing he said before he disappeared was, "Hasten to him."_

I awoke with a start before falling back down onto the bed. I turned over to stifle a scream in my pillow. What the hell had that been about? I had no clue what I was supposed to make of that, and I could barely fathom the goings on inside my own mind. If that was supposed to have been a message telling me to get my ass in gear, thanks brain but I already knew that.

Sora... I looked outside at all the stars, all the other worlds dotting the night sky. If the answer to getting Roxas back was out there somewhere, I would find it. If this boy Sora was the key, I needed to go to him. I'd be damned if I let Xemnas hurt Roxas anymore. This was going to come to an end one way or another. I would either save Roxas, or die trying, and if I died I would damn well bring Xemnas down with me.

"I'm coming for you, Roxas," I whispered aloud. "Don't you worry."

There was a small knock on the door and Namine's face appeared around the corner of the door. "Are you okay in here, Axel?" she asked. "Who were you talking to?"

"Nobody," I sighed. "Look, we have to go, Namine." _Trust yourself, Axel_. "Our location has been compromised. We can't stay here."

"What?" she asked, looking up at me with wide eyes. "How? Who...?"

"I don't know," I admitted, "but we have to get out of here."

"Okay..." she said with a gulp. "I trust you. Where will we go?"

"Not here," I said, paranoia growing with each passing second. I was beginning to fully believe the aspect of Zexion that had shown up in my dream, and I didn't want to stay here a moment longer than necessary. "Pack up whatever you think you'll need and let's get going."

"Right," she said, her eyes darting around the room as she hurried back toward hers. "I'll be ready in just a minute."

I followed her into the hallway before I paused. I didn't know what kind of world we were about to step into, or what would await us there, but I knew that I would do whatever it took to save Roxas. I would go to the end of the world to bring him back, and I would not give up on him. We've come too far and he deserved to live his life away from the strain and tyranny of Xemnas' rule.

"Where y'all off to?" Xigbar said from behind me.

I spun quickly to see him leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, blocking my way to the exit. "I'm going my own way, Xigbar," I said, something in the air making me tense.

"Any particular reason?" he asked, pulling a pistol out of his coat and examining it.

"What's it to you?" I asked, eying him carefully.

"I don't think you're going anywhere today," he said, a smile crossing his face. "In fact, don't think you'll be going anywhere ever again."

"Axel?" Namine asked, coming up behind me.

"Namine, go!" I shouted as Xigbar lifted his weapon, pointing it directly at me. I opened a portal, urging her to go through it. "I'll meet you on the other side."

"I'm not leaving without you," she said, halfway through the portal, her hand outstretched toward me.

"Go!" I yelled, shielding her small form with my body.

"Stop!" Xigbar shouted. "I'm only supposed to keep you from leaving. I don't want to have to shoot you, man."

"Axel, come on!" Namine pleaded, rushing for me and grabbing my arm.

"You're not stopping me, Xigbar," I said, taking Namine and running into the portal just as I heard a gunshot from behind me.

Namine screamed and at first I thought she'd been hit. "Namine," I said, looking over her for any trace of blood or injury. "Are you…" That's when I felt it, like a hot iron shoved into my back. My vision went blurry and I was able to support my own weight for only a few seconds before I went down. Bastard didn't miss this time. I was vaguely aware of Namine calling for help, but after that, I couldn't hear her words. I saw her… I saw her kneeling over me, screaming as she looked around for anyone… anyone to help.

I wasn't even thinking when I reached up to touch her tear-streaked face. I wanted to thank her… but I couldn't make myself form words. I thought I saw someone else… Blue eyes… and a mess of brown hair… looked a lot like…

That was it for me. I couldn't stay conscious any longer. I just wish… I could have seen him… one last time.

* * *

**A/N: It's been a while since I've updated this one, and I apologize for that. Don't be mad at me. You know I don't kill off crucial characters. ...Oh... wait... hehe. But it'll be okay... I think. Anyway, I plan to update soon. I need to start sticking to a schedule and making deadlines for myself. :/ Thanks for reading. I live for reviews. :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix.

* * *

I woke up to a very annoying, constant dripping. Drip… drip… drip… It never stopped. I was dazed. My head was in a fog and I had to force my eyes open. A thin crust had accumulated on my lashes and I reached to wipe it off only to realize that I couldn't move my hands. Was I bound again?

I looked to either side of me, confused and alarmed at what I saw. I had been tied down on an old, bare mattress with thick, durable pieces of pink ribbon. My wrists hung off the sides of the mattress. Or rather… they were stretched across it, tied to tall metal rods on either side of my new-found bed. The ends of the ribbon dangled down and it was my own blood, slowly dripping off of the tips, that was producing the aforementioned annoying sound.

I groaned and attempted to pull my knees up but then discovered that my ankles had been tied in the same fashion. However, no blood dripped from the ribbons at my feet. It was only then that I realized I was completely naked. What the hell was going on here?

"Ah, Roxas," Xemnas purred from my right. "You're awake. Good. For a moment, I feared I'd bled you too much."

"What did you do to me?" I wearily asked. My mind… I couldn't think right. It was all fuzzy.

"Merely reopened some old wounds," he said, coming to stand over me and allowing me to see the sadistic gleam in his eye. "I, however, did not want you to die, so I had to bind the wounds. You understand."

"Why?" I asked, trying to lift my head, but finding I didn't have the strength. How much blood had I lost?

"The bleeding should stop entirely in a few minutes," he said, ignoring my question. "But before that…"

He came to sit on the edge of the mattress, causing it to creak under his added weight. He leaned over me, licking up the blood that was running onto the inside of my arm from under the ribbon. He then produced a knife from behind him and cut his own wrist, though not nearly as bad as he'd cut mine.

He brought his wrist to my lips and said, "Drink."

"What?" I said as he forced his wrist against my mouth. I felt his blood trickling over my teeth and gagged. What the hell was he playing at? I miraculously kept myself from throwing up and choking on my own vomit when the blood ran down further into my mouth, onto my tongue and into my throat. I tried to move my head, but he held it firmly in place. I had no choice but to swallow.

"There," he said as he pulled away. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

I turned my head toward him and spat, trying to rid myself of the taste as I asked, "What the hell was that for?"

"It helps with the process," he said softly as he crawled on top of me.

"What process?" I asked, fearing the answer.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, licking his lips before lowering them to mine.

I tried to kick, to squirm, to do anything to get him off of me, but I was bound. Even if I wasn't, I was too weak to really do much of anything to resist. I tasted my own blood on his tongue as he took mine into his mouth, gently sucking on it before breaking the kiss.

"Don't struggle," he whispered, inches away from my face. "You'll hurt yourself."

"What are you doing?" I asked, blinking away the haze in my mind.

"I think it should be obvious," he said with a smile. "We're exchanging bodily fluids. There's one more on the list. You should know what that one is, right?"

"No…." I breathed, the realization hitting me like a ton of bricks. "No!"

"Yes," he smiled, his fingers running lightly over my bare chest. His hands adventured down my sides to my legs and he scratched his way down to my knees before caressing the inside of my thighs down to my groin, where he took me in both hands and began to stroke me. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to feel his hands on me, willing myself to be somewhere else, anywhere but here. A tear slid down my face when I opened my eyes and still felt him, still saw him kneeling between my legs.

"Please," I whispered. "Please stop. No more. I don't…"

"Shh…" he said, leaning down to lick my tip. "It'll feel wonderful."

"I don't want it," I cried. "I don't want it. Please."

He stopped fondling me for a moment, looking fiercely up at me as he said, "You will."

He crawled over me, straddling my hips and placing his hands on either side of my head. He then leaned down and planted a gentle kiss in the middle of my forehead. As soon as his lips touched my skin, a wave of immense pleasure flooded my body, causing me to shudder uncontrollably. My eyes went wide and my mouth hung open as his hands explored my body with renewed interest. Everywhere he touched me, this strange wave… this… overwhelming pleasure spread until I was almost consumed by it. It blacked out everything else. I forgot where I was, that I had been cut up and bound, and even who it was that was doing this to me. All I could do was _feel_. It was spectacular.

"That's it," he said, kissing his way down my body to my now full erection.

"What is this?" I asked, my toes curling as he took me in his mouth. This feeling… it made me lose track of everything, even my intense hatred for this man. It didn't matter who was doing this to me now, I just wanted _more_.

I felt his fingers press against my entrance and gasped, suddenly able to lift my knees. It didn't even occur to me that he had cut the binds around my ankles. I moaned as he pushed two fingers into me, immediately hitting my prostate and doubling the sensation. I saw him smile as he pulled his fingers out, replacing them with his own erection. There wasn't even any pain as he slid into me. At least, I didn't feel any.

I wrapped my legs around his body and leaned into him, pressing him deeper into me. He started pumping me again as he thrust into me, holding nothing back. I cried out, wishing I could have moved my arms. I needed something to cling to as I ferociously rode him.

Minutes later, I could feel myself getting close. It was this feeling… I couldn't have fought it if I'd wanted to. I wouldn't last long now. I groaned as he abruptly pulled out of me, but before I could really protest, he had me in his mouth again. His warm, wet tongue expertly sliding across my hardened length proved to be too much for me as I came in his mouth.

Quickly, he moved up my body, stroking himself as he said, "Open your mouth."

I obeyed, receiving his seed moments later. He exploded onto my face, into my mouth, and over the top of my chest. I didn't know how he could contain so much.

"Swallow," he commanded.

Without hesitation, I obeyed. That was about when I started to regain my senses and lose this feeling that had stunned me into utter submission. I looked down at myself in horror as I realized what I'd just done. I'd… I'd wanted it, just as he'd said I would. I'd wanted him… and it made me sick.

"What have you done to me!?" I shouted, drawing my knees up.

He leaned over me and whispered into my ear, "You're mine now."

"No the fuck I'm not!" I yelled, kicking him off of me.

"You are," he said, laughing. "Exchange of blood… That started it. Your submission was the last thing I needed. You're mine now, Roxas."

"I'll kill you, you son of a bitch!" I screamed, gritting my teeth with full and absolute hatred.

"Ah, but that's the best part," he said, laughing maniacally now. "If my body dies before it's undone, your soul will belong to me forever. And when you die, and of course you will be driven to suicide once I'm gone, we'll be together for eternity in the next life."

"I don't believe you," I said, pulling my eyebrows together. "I can't believe you."

"It's true," he said. "And just wait. Do you think Axel will wait for an explanation before killing me?"

"No…" I breathed. "So that's what you've been playing at this whole time? All this time, all this shit you've put us both through… It was all leading up to this, then?"

"Pretty much," he said with a smile. "But there is still something I lack."

"Oh?" I sneered. "What's that?"

"Your body belongs to me now," he said, pacing. "And when I die, so will your soul. That's all well and good, but it's not enough. I mean to possess you, the whole of you. I can force you to mindlessly submit to me whenever I want, like I did just now, but that really takes the fun out of it. You're not really willing. No… I want your _heart_, Roxas. That part of you that defies all reason and still baffles me to this day, that's what I'm after."

"You're insane," I said, panic setting in. I pulled at the ribbons that bound me and screamed, "Let me out of here! Let me out!"

I didn't even see his hand until it hit the side of my face. I gasped in surprise as I felt the sting of his slap. The side of my face felt like it was on fire and I was pretty sure his fingernail had drawn blood.

"What the fuck was that for?" I asked, drawing up on myself. I shivered, only now addressing my nakedness, "Where the hell are my clothes?" I asked, desperately wanting to cover myself with something. Then I remembered… Axel's letter… It was in the back pocket of my jeans. I looked up at him, my eyes searching his face as I asked in a more serious tone, "Where are my clothes?"

"I'll have a new set for you soon," he said, tilting his head as he sat next to me.

"No," I said, lifting my head. "I want the ones I was wearing before."

"For this?" he asked, lifting up a small, triangularly folded piece of paper. "I found it when I was undressing you."

I pulled my lips together, forcing tears away from my eyes as I said, "Let me have it."

"I took the liberty of reading it before you woke," he said with a smile. "Very touching. I assume you haven't read it yet, or else… well, I'm not going to ruin the surprise."

"Give it to me," I said, my body beginning to tremble. "Xemnas, please."

"What would you be willing to do for it?" he asked, flipping it around in his hands, taunting me with it.

"I'm not going to play your sick games, Xemnas," I said, biting my lip. "Just give it to me."

"As you wish," he said, smiling as he placed the parcel square in the middle of my chest.

I huffed, pulling at the ribbons when I knew they wouldn't give. "Untie me," I said, shooting him a glare.

"So you can read it?" he asked with a chuckle. "I don't think so. You told me to give it to you, and I did. Did you really think I would be nice enough to let you read it?"

"It's my right!" I shouted. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes before opening them and saying gently, "Please."

He sat with his legs crossed, staring at me with a sly grin on his face.

"What do you want?" I asked. "You always want something. What can I do?"

"Tell me why you want it so badly," he said. "And then beg me for it."

I sighed before giving in, "I want it because it was the last thing Axel gave me before you separated us. It was the last thing he wanted me to know." I paused, sucking up my pride before continuing, "Please, Xemnas. I'm begging you. Please give me the chance to read it, to have whatever is inside. That's all I ask. Please."

"And if I do?" he asked. "What will you do for me?"

"What sort of question is that?" I asked. "How do you expect me to answer that? I'm not going to say 'anything,' because you could think of a lot of fucked up, sadistic things for me to do, and I'm not going to say anything specific either."

"What is that little package worth to you?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "I'll bargain for it."

"What do I have that is of any worth to you that you couldn't just take from me?" I asked, realizing one answer moments after the question was asked. But that was something I couldn't give. I didn't have the ability.

"You could give me your will," he said. "Submit to me. Let me have you without force and without trickery."

A new realization dawned on me with his request. "That wasn't a real submission, was it? You said the last thing you needed was my submission, but you tricked me last time. You technically forced me. You still need me to genuinely submit… don't you?"

"Clever, Roxas," he said with a chuckle. "Our little adventure was real enough for a temporary fix. It still bound you to me, and if I die within the next week or so, it will still be real enough to matter. But you're right. I do still need you to genuinely submit to me for the effects to be permanent."

"I won't do it," I said firmly. "I won't let you control me."

"Then…" he said, walking over to me and plucking my precious parcel from my chest, "…you will never know Axel's last words to you."

"What do you mean 'last words'?" I asked, fearful of the answer.

"Well, you see," he said, clearing his throat. "In the event of Axel's death, this was supposed to be given to you by his good friend Demyx… who, of course recently met his own untimely death. These are the words he most desperately wanted you to know in the event of a tragedy. Like I said, it's very touching."

"You bastard," I spat.

"Do this for me," he said with a lustful gleam in his eye, "and you will get what I know you desperately want. Or I could just take you by force." He paused, leaning over me to whisper in my ear, "I could take you over and over again until you break. You'll eventually give in to me just so the torment will stop. It's your choice, Roxas." He licked the side of my face before he stood up, grinning down at me.

When I didn't respond, he pressed his thumb to my forehead, where he'd kissed me before, and said, "I can make you feel pleasure…" At this, the same wave of intense pleasure flooded through me again, but greatly intensified and directed specifically at my groin. "…Or pain." He smiled and the wave of pleasure spread once more to my entire body, still at the intensified level, until I was writhing in it. Then it changed to something… gruesome and absolutely agonizing. It was the most powerful and excessive pain I'd ever felt in my life. It felt like my body was being ripped open from its core, all the while being burned without being consumed. And it was everywhere. Every cell in my body was on fire with it as I let out the most blood-curdling scream that I didn't even know I was capable of.

This went on for mere seconds, but it felt like an eternity before he finally lifted his thumb from my forehead and the pain miraculously faded. If that was what I had to look forward to, I didn't know if I could take it again. If that was what he was going to use to break me, it seemed as if it had already worked because I couldn't fathom another dose of _that_.

"Your choice?" he asked, reaching down to stroke my face.

I looked up at him with all the hatred I could muster. I had all but given up. I didn't know how I would ever come back from this. It seemed like everything that everyone had worked for… was all for naught. Nothing we'd hoped for and nothing we did even mattered. Namine worked so hard to hide me. Axel sacrificed his well-being for me. Demyx and Zexion had _died_ for our cause. Our lives had been torn apart, and all of it… all of it was for nothing. He'd won. The bastard had won and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

_Axel… I love you_.

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**A/N: So here's a new chapter. It's a pretty long one, but it actually came out of my head pretty quickly. Some intense shit right there. o.O Anyway, more will be posted soon, I hope. I've gotten a new burst of creative energy, and am actively trying to make stick to a schedule. Some structure for the ADHD... It's difficult to do. Anyway, thanks for reading. Reviews are greatly appreciated. :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix.

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"_Finish me," Demyx said, taking my hand, still clutching my chakram, and placing it to his chest._

"_What?" I asked, horrified at what my friend was asking me to do._

"_Please," he said, tears filling his eyes and spilling down his cheeks. "Axel… I want to be with him. Please, kill me."_

_I couldn't believe what I was hearing. There was no way he could really be asking me to kill him. But then I realized that he was only asking me to do what he could not. He was asking me to end his suffering. If our roles had been reversed… If it had been Roxas I'd just seen bleed out on this courtyard, I would probably have asked him to do the same for me. So I closed my eyes, holding back my own tears, and nodded._

"_Thank you," he breathed._

"Axel?" Roxas asked, his voice so close to me.

"Turn away, Roxas," I said, every breath I took hurting my chest.

"You're alright now, Axel," he said, placing his hand over my forehead. "Wake up."

His voice sounded strange, like it was changing. It didn't sound like him anymore, but I could have sworn it had been his only a moment ago. I opened my eyes, meeting round blue eyes and a worried expression. I sat up quickly, producing a searing pain in my abdomen.

"Woah," said the strange boy. "Don't move so fast. Give yourself some time."

"Where am I?" I asked, looking down at myself. My torso was covered in a thick layer of fresh bandages and I was lying on a small bed surrounded by books.

"Merlin's house," the stranger replied. "In Hollow Bastian."

"I'm supposed to talk to Leon," I said. "I need to talk to him about Sora."

The boy hesitated before saying, "I'm Sora."

I looked up at him, really looking at him for the first time. He was the same boy whom I'd seen hovering over me moments before I'd lost consciousness. He was brunette and looked a great deal like Roxas. This boy was the one I was supposed to ask for aid? He was so young.

"I need your help," I breathed, laying my hand over my stomach. "It's a long story, but… I need your help."

"One thing at a time," he said, holding up a bottle. "We need to get you well. Drink this."

"A potion?" I asked, taking the bottle from him. I downed it in one gulp, remembering the sickly sweet and sour taste from the time Demyx had given me one.

"Yeah," he said. "A cure spell would be better, but I don't know that one yet and Merlin is out."

"Is he going to be alright?" Namine asked. I hadn't even realized she was in the room with us.

"I feel fine," I said, the potion immediately making me feel like myself again. It didn't completely heal my injury, but it did wonders for it anyway.

"He should be now," Sora said. "He couldn't drink the potion until he woke up, but now that it's in his system, it should heal him right up."

"Now," I said, propping myself up on my elbow. "I need your help, Sora."

"So you said," he answered. "So let's hear it." He sat with his hands intertwined behind his head.

"Do you know much about Nobodies?" I asked.

"Nobodies?" he asked, leaning forward. "I've been fighting them for a while now."

"That's… interesting," I said, drawing my eyebrows together in confusion. "Anyway, to make a long story short and confusing, I used to belong to a group of Nobodies called Organization XIII. So did my boyfriend Roxas."

"Wait," he said, holding his hands up. "You're a Nobody? And you've got… a boyfriend."

"Yes…" I said through my teeth. "And yes."

He paused for a moment, then shrugged and said, "Okay. Go on."

"My boyfriend's name is Roxas and he was recently kidnapped by the leader of our previous Organization, Xemnas," I explained. I went on to sum up how we've been struggling to gain our independence of the Organization and the chain of events leading up to Roxas' capture.

He seemed very confused by the whole situation, but he let me finish my explanation before pointing to Namine and me and asking, "So you two… are Nobodies… with feelings?"

"Essentially," I said.

"How?" he asked, awestruck.

"Well…" I said, scratching my head. "It's complicated. Namine here never lost her emotions, and I sorta… regained mine when I met Roxas."

"Alright," he said. "How do you expect me to help you?"

"Well, I actually… don't know," I said. "I was sort of directed toward you without being told who you were or how you could help me. All I know is that… whoever you are, you're essential to getting Roxas back."

"Well," he said, stretching his hand out in front of him. Seconds later, I was amazed when I saw a keyblade materialize in his open hand. "I'm a keyblade bearer. Does that help?"

"Roxas is a keyblade bearer," I said, examining the weapon he held. It was plain compared to Roxas' Oathkeeper and Oblivion, but it was still a bona fide keyblade. "He has two actually."

"Maybe that's the connection we're looking for," he said.

"I doubt it would be as simple as that," I said.

"It isn't," said a deeper voice from the doorway. I looked up to see a tall brunette man with a scar across his face standing in the open doorway.

"Who are you?" I asked, pulling myself into a sitting position.

"That's Leon," Sora said.

"I'm–" I began.

"Axel," he said, closing his eyes. "I know. What are you doing here?"

"I was directed to seek help from Sora," I said simply.

"I've been following the movements of Organization XIII very closely for quite some time now," he said, moving toward me. "Recently, however, no word has been sent from my informant. Tell me, has something happened to Demyx?"

I paused, bewildered at his question. "He… He's dead," I said, looking away.

"I see," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's too bad. He had a good heart."

I was silent for a moment before asking, "What do you know about what's happened recently?"

"After I lost contact with Demyx, I was no longer receiving any information regarding the Organization," he said. "So… nothing really. Would you care to bring me up to speed?"

"Will you agree to help me?" I asked.

"That depends on the circumstance," he said.

"Roxas has been kidnapped by Xemnas," I said in an almost venomous way. "Is that reason enough for you?"

"Do you love him?" he asked, his hand on his chin.

"What kind of a question is that?" I asked. "Of course I love him."

"Hmm…" he said. "Do you know your true name, Axel? I mean the person you were before."

"My name was Lea," I said. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"I'll help you, Lea," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"My name's not Lea anymore," I said, brooding internally. "I'm a Nobody now."

"No," Leon said with a smile. "You're not."

"What?" I asked, my eyes going wide. "What do you mean? Of course I am."

"Nobodies don't have hearts," he said, touching his face, "and they certainly don't have feelings. The simple fact that you are able to love Roxas means that you can't be a Nobody."

"It's true that when I'm with him, I feel like I have a heart again," I said, closing my eyes and placing my hand over my chest. "But if I go too long without him, I lose that feeling. I become numb again."

"So you regain your heart temporarily when you're with him," he said. "I see. We need to find a way to make the effect permanent."

"We need to find Roxas," I said. "And so far, my plan isn't working."

"You're not ready yet," Leon said. "You cannot hope to best Xemnas single-handedly now that your friends are… no longer with us."

"Which is why I need your help," I pointed out.

Leon stood behind Sora, placing his hands on Sora's shoulders as he said, "With his help, you _can_ best him alone."

"Do you mean…" Sora said, gesturing to his hands.

Leon picked up Sora's keyblade, which then instantly materialized into Sora's hands, and said, "Test him."

Sora smiled up at Leon before he stood, outstretching his hand to me as he asked, "Can you stand?"

I took his hand and slowly lifted myself to my feet. I looked from him to Leon and then back before asking, "Now what?"

My eyes went wide as Sora took his keyblade, extended the handle toward me and said, "Take it."

Hesitantly, I gripped the hilt of the blade and a strange sensation washed over me. It was like an electrical shock almost, but there was no pain. I looked up at Sora, who nodded at me before releasing the blade. I expected it to act the same way it did when Leon picked it up, vanishing from my grasp and going instantly back to its master. But it didn't. It stayed in my hand until I handed it back to Sora.

"You have a strong heart, Axel," Leon said with a smile. "There is no doubt in my mind that you will be able to rescue Roxas."

I stood there in utter bewilderment, my brain struggling to keep up to speed with what just happened. I wasn't even certain if what had just occurred had been real. The whole process was alien to me, but I knew… somehow I knew exactly what I needed to do. Now I just needed to learn how to do it.

* * *

**A/N: Axel the keyblade bearer? Shit just got real. Storyline is once again beginning to pick up and I hope the next few chapters will be better than this one. You guys are great and thank you for being so supportive. Thanks for reading, and please review. :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix.

* * *

I couldn't help but flinch as the blades whipped past my face and at first I thought Xemnas aimed to kill me before I realized that the ribbons that had once kept me bound had been cut. I sat up for the first time in days, removing the remainder of the ribbon and rubbing my aching wrists. Then I looked up at him, too confused to speak as he reached down to gather his blades.

"I grow weary of these games that are getting us nowhere," he said as he sat down next to me. For the first time since I'd woken up on this filthy mattress, I was able to weakly scoot away from him. "Every day I come in and ask you for one simple thing and every day you refuse. I think it's time to change my tactic. You're obviously not responding to the pain anymore and though it was fun to watch you writhe, seeing the same torture every day has become quite boring."

"So what's the plan today?" I asked, pulling my knees up to give myself the illusion of modesty. "Let me guess, more bargains? Bribes?"

"Nothing of the sort," he said, running a hand along my face. "Today, I'm actually going to give you something you want before I ask for anything. Today, we're going to go see Axel."

My heart began to race at his statement. It couldn't be true. I couldn't get my hopes up. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I've had eyes on him for a while," he said. "He managed to pull a little disappearing act on me for a few days, but now I know where he is again. Shall we go see him?"

"What's the catch?" I asked, taking his outstretched hand. "There's always a catch."

"Well the catch would be that he will not be able to see, hear, or otherwise detect our presence," he said flatly.

"Of course," I scoffed. "You would never give me even a moment of real happiness."

"Do you want to go or not?" he asked, handing me a small black Organization cloak.

I shrugged into the cloak, zipping it up as I said, "Of course I want to go, you asshole." It felt heavenly to be able to be covered again. I hadn't known the feeling of fabric on my skin for days and though it was a uniform I thought I would never have to don again, I was glad for it.

He flicked me on the nose like I was some sort of dog before saying, "Behave."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him like a child and instead gave a curt nod. Xemnas smiled, opening a portal in the very mattress we were seated on, letting us fall through to the other side. I would have landed gracefully on my feet, as Xemnas did, had I had the opportunity to use my feet over the past few days. Instead, my legs betrayed me, buckling beneath me so I fell to my knees. I almost fell completely over, but somehow managed to break my fall with my hands.

"Very smooth," Xemnas said, cracking another smile.

"Shut up," I said, getting up and brushing the dust off of my cloak. "Where's Axel."

"Look there," he said, pointing.

I looked in the direction he indicated and my heart leapt into my throat. There he was, as radiant as ever. He held a long wooden sword in his hands and he wore a determined look on his face. He looked as if he was sparring with a younger brunette boy who, to my absolute amazement, held a keyblade. The sight didn't deter my mind from Axel for long, however, and before I knew it I was running for him.

"Axel," I shouted, running with my arms outstretched.

I didn't know what I'd expected to happen, but it wasn't this. As I came within a foot of Axel, the air around him began to look distorted. I reached for him, my hand inches from his face, but I couldn't reach him. It was like there was a barrier between us, keeping me from touching him.

"What is this?" I asked, sharply looking back at Xemnas before turning my attention once more to Axel as he lifted his hand, signaling a pause to the younger boy.

"I told you he wouldn't be able to detect you," he said simply. "Did you really expect to be able to interact with him?"

"This is torture," I breathed, unable to hold back my tears. "He's right there. Right there! Why can't I…" I fell to my knees, once again lifting my hand to clutch at Axel's leg and once again finding myself unable to touch him. "Please…" I sobbed. "Please just let me… just let me…" I stood up, clenching my fists at my sides and gritting my teeth as I said, "Is this what you want? You knew this would be pure torture for me!"

"That was the idea," he said, tilting his head as he watched me.

"You son of a bitch," I said through my teeth. I swallowed my hatred, forcing myself to calm down as Axel once more began to spar with the brunette boy. "Can I leave something behind?" I asked, hoping for something, anything.

"I'll tell you what," he said, his voice taking on a tone one would use when speaking to a child as he sauntered toward me. "If you're a good boy, I'll let you leave something next time."

"So that's it then?" I asked, taking a shaky breath. "Since I'm not taking the letter as bait, you've decided to up my incentive."

"That's right," he said, towering over me. "So do you accept my terms?"

"I want the letter too," I said, my resolve beginning to waver. "And I want you to tell me how to undo what you've done."

"Yes to the first, no to the second," he said. "Though I suppose it won't matter once you're mine."

"No deal," I said, looking back at Axel.

"What if I let him hear you?" he asked. "I'd be willing to open the ward just enough to allow you to say something to him right now if you'd just give me your word."

I paused, faltering. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. More than that though, I wanted… no, I desperately needed the contact with Axel. Though it would be minimal, at least it was something to cling to. "Do it," I said. "Do it now."

"Do I have your word?" he asked, holding his hand out toward me.

"I'll have my letter and I'll still be able to leave something behind when you bring me here again?" I asked. He nodded, gesturing toward his hand. My heart sped up and I closed my eyes as I took it and said, "You have my word."

He pulled me toward him, holding my head to his chest. I saw a bit of distortion ride the air before he leaned to whisper in my ear, "He can hear you now."

I gulped as Xemnas released me before I walked slowly toward the area where Axel and the brunette boy were still fighting. "Axel," I said, softly at first. He stumbled, gasping when he heard me. "Axel," I said again, louder this time.

"Roxas?" he asked, his eyes darting all over the place.

"I'm here, Axel," I said, fresh tears coming to my eyes.

"Where?" he breathed, reaching in the general direction of my voice.

"Xemnas has me," I said. "You can't see me but I'm here. Listen, I don't have much time and Xemnas is listening."

"Xemnas is here too?" he asked.

I nodded before realizing that he couldn't see me and saying, "Yes."

"Listen up, you bastard!" he shouted, his face contorting into a sneer. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve now and as soon as I find out where you're hiding Roxas, I'm coming to show you some of them."

"You can't kill him," I said quickly. "If you do he'll–" I paused when I saw the distortion in the air again.

"Roxas?" Axel asked, reaching out toward me. "Roxas where are you?"

"What did you do?" I asked, turning toward Xemnas.

"You don't honestly think I'd let you give away my secrets do you?" he asked, holding up his hand.

"Okay," I said, frantically attempting to get him to open the ward again. "I won't tell him anything about that. Just let me…"

"I think you've had enough for now," he said.

"Then let me say goodbye to him at least," I begged.

"I suppose I could give you that," he said, lowering his hand as the distortion filled the air once more.

"Axel," I said, reaching toward him and sighing when I couldn't touch him. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," he said, looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry," I said. "He won't let me say anything else about him."

"I love you," he said, closing his eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," I said, my voice wavering.

"Have you… read my letter yet?" he asked, eyes shifting from side to side.

"Xemnas wouldn't give it to me," I said. "But he will after this. He promised."

"What has he done to you?" he asked, lifting his hand.

"I…" I said, hesitating. "It's probably better that you don't know."

"I swear to God–" he said, grinding his teeth.

"I told you from the start," Xemnas said, suddenly behind me, "I wanted the satisfaction of you knowing that I could be doing absolutely anything to him." He breathed in my scent, sending a shiver down my spine before he continued, "And oh, the liberties I've taken with him."

"Axel," I said, knowing that Xemnas' words would set him off. "Stop it, Xemnas."

"Say goodbye, Roxas," he said.

"Xemnas," Axel hissed. "Don't you dare take him away."

"I think I will dare," he said with a chuckle, grabbing my arm and pulling me backwards.

"Axel," I said, rushing through my words. "Don't kill him! If you do, I–"

"Shut up," Xemnas said as he forced his hand over my mouth, cutting off my flow of words.

"Roxas!" Axel shouted. I heard him curse as I was led back through a portal to what would surely be my own personal hell.

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**A/N: I'm so nice to my characters, aren't I? Anyway, here's another chapter that I sincerely hope you enjoy. Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Square Enix and Disney.

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I dropped to my knees, looking down at my hands as my head fell into them. He'd been right there, probably right within my grasp, but once again I'd been helpless to do anything. His voice… I couldn't be completely certain it had even been real. Maybe I was going mad. I had to believe it, though. I couldn't give up on this hope.

I swore if Xemnas had done anything to hurt him, I would… I sighed. I'd made promises like that before and they got me nowhere. I was never able to keep the vows I'd made. Xemnas had always been one step ahead of me, always with something to bargain. He wanted to see me suffer? Well, I wouldn't give him the opportunity. I would make sure that this time, I was one step ahead of _him_. He would never see me coming.

I heard Sora walk up behind me, lightly tapping me on the shoulder before asking, "Are you alright?"

"He was right here," I breathed, willing away tears in my eyes as I clutched at the dusty stone ground.

"So I heard," he said, kneeling beside me. "We'll get him back, Axel." He placed a hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

"Will we?" I asked, reaching up to my shoulder as Sora moved his hand. "Sure, we'll rescue him and yes, we _will_ kill Xemnas, but will we really ever get him back? This experience… It's changed us both so much. I don't know if we'll ever be the same again."

"I'd be worried if you hadn't changed," Sora said with a small laugh. "But no matter what, you still love each other. That's something to treasure."

"Yeah…" I said, lifting myself to my feet. "When I find that bastard, I'm going to–"

"Didn't Roxas say not to kill him?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

I stumbled forward as I thought back to our conversation. He _had_ said that, hadn't he? "But why?" I asked, puzzled. "Why would he tell me not to kill Xemnas? It's something we both want to happen."

"I think you should trust him," Sora said as we moved towards Merlin's house. "He must have a real reason."

"I guess," I said, running a hand through my hair as Sora opened the big wooden door for me. "But what would that reason be?"

I didn't know why I was so shocked to see an older man with a long gray beard and a big pointy hat rummaging around a pile of books when I came in. Leon had described Merlin to me and I knew it was his house, but it had been four days since I'd woken up here and this was the first time I'd seen him.

"Merlin!" Sora shouted, a big smile appearing on his face.

"Sora, my lad," Merlin said. "And Axel too. Sorry I'm late, but you arrived a bit earlier than anticipated."

"You knew I was coming?" I asked, a bit suspicious.

He tapped his temple before turning around to look through his books again. "Demyx was a good friend of mine," he said with his back to me. "It was I who gave him that apartment in Traverse Town. Taught him a few spells, too, that seem to have come in handy." He paused for a moment, stopping his movements as he said, "I'm sorry. The loss must be difficult for you, especially."

"You seem to know an awful lot about me," I said at his multiple implications.

"My dear boy," he said, turning around and slightly shaking with laughter, "I'm a wizard." When he stopped laughing he said, "Tell me, is that enchantment of Zexion's working yet?"

"There's nothing coming through," I said, rubbing my temple with my fingertips. "Do you think that… because he's dead…?"

"It wouldn't have stopped working," Merlin said. "The enchantment was solid, but the object must be on Roxas' person for it to work. If it was an article of clothing or jewelry, it must be worn. You put it in a pendant, did you?"

"A ring," I said softly. "I was… never mind." Now was not the time to be getting sentimental.

"Well the obvious problem is that he hasn't yet put it on," he said.

"He told me that Xemnas was keeping it from him," I said, remembering when I'd asked him earlier, "but that he would give it back soon. I'd hoped he meant right away, but… there's nothing yet."

"Well then the only thing we can do is wait," Merlin said, finally finding the book he was looking for and blowing the dust off of it.

"It's the waiting that's the problem, though," I said with a sigh as I sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not cut out for patience, not when it comes to him." I knew just how brutal and sadistic Xemnas could be and the thought of what he could be doing to Roxas made me livid. He'd said he'd taken "liberties" with him already. I stood up, pacing the room as I said, "Damn it! Isn't there something else we could be doing besides _sitting_ here?"

"I could work with you some more," Sora said, having been quietly observing this whole time. "You still haven't been able to summon your own keyblade yet. That's what we need to be working on."

"Not now," I said, taking a calming breath. "Not when I'm angry. I might actually hurt you."

"You need to get this, Axel," Sora said.

"I know," I said with a sigh, falling backwards onto the bed. "It just… won't materialize no matter how hard I try. Are you sure I can actually do this?"

He nodded, reaching out his hand. Seconds later, his Kingdom Key appeared in his hand and a small pang of jealousy hit me. How could he do it so easily?

He saw the look on my face and said, "If it makes you feel any better, there was a time when I couldn't summon mine either. I just had to remember who I was fighting for and I… kept on fighting."

I paused before outstretching my hand, willing that blasted key into existence. _Roxas_, I thought. _I'm doing this for Roxas_. After about ten seconds of nothing, I gave up. "I can't," I said, sighing again.

"It'll be there when you need it most," Sora said, his keyblade vanishing. "Trust me."

I rolled over onto my side. Why couldn't this be as simple as summoning my chakrams? They popped up the instant I needed them. I barely even had to think about them and they were in my hands. It was maddening not to be able to do the exact thing I'd been doing almost my entire life with another weapon. I knew how easy it was with my chakrams and I knew how easy it looked with Sora's keyblade. So why the hell was it so hard for me?

"I'm going to sleep," I said, deciding to stop torturing myself. "Wake me if anything happens."

"Well you're the one who'll know," Sora said. "That enchantment's not tied to us."

"It'll wake me up, then," I said. "It better."

I closed my eyes, willing myself to stop thinking about all the things I was unable to do. It took some time, but I was finally able to sleep.

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**A/N: This one was a bit short. I'll try to make my chapters a bit longer, but there's only so much of the story that can be told from Axel's point of view as of this moment. It will pick up with Roxas next chapter and then after that, Axel will actually have something to do. Thanks for being so supportive. You're all awesome! Thanks for reading. Reviews are much appreciated. :D**


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